A planarization method includes providing a second and/or third Group VIII metal-containing surface (preferably, a platinum-containing surface) and positioning it for contact with a polishing surface in the presence of a planarization composition that includes an oxidizing gas.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the substrate surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying an acidic planarization composition in proximity to the interface; feeding an oxidizing gas into the planarization composition; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface to selectively remove the Group VIII metal-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, sulfur trioxide, and combinations thereof; wherein the polishing surface comprises a fixed abrasive article or a polishing pad; and wherein when the polishing surface comprises the polishing pad the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than 9 Mohs.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the Group VIII metal is present in an amount of about 10 atomic percent or more.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly.
4. The method of claim 1 which is carried out in one step.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein planarizing is carried out using a fixed abrasive article.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the Group VIII metal-containing surface of the substrate comprises a Group VIII metal in elemental form or an alloy thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the Group VIII metal-containing surface comprises elemental platinum, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, or a combination thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the Group VIII metal-containing surface comprises elemental platinum.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the oxidizing gas is oxygen.
11. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof; supplying an acidic planarization composition in proximity to the interface; feeding an oxidizing gas, which is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, and combinations thereof, into the planarization composition; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface to form a substantially defect-free surface; wherein the oxidizing gas is fed into the composition in an amount of no greater than about 10% by weight; wherein the polishing surface comprises a fixed abrasive article or a polishing pad; and wherein when the polishing surface comprises the polishing pad the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than 9 Mohs.
12. A planarization method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly including at least one region of a platinum-containing surface and at least one region comprising BPSG or TEOS; providing a polishing surface; providing an acidic planarization composition at an interface between the at least one region of platinum-containing surface and the polishing surface; and feeding an oxidizing gas into the planarization composition; planarizing the at least one region of platinum-containing surface to selectively remove the platinum-containing surface relative to BPSG or TEOS at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrous oxide, air, and combinations thereof; wherein the polishing surface comprises a fixed abrasive article or a polishing pad; and wherein when the polishing surface comprises the polishing pad the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than 9 Mohs.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the platinum is present in an amount of about 10 atomic percent or more.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the platinum-containing surface comprises elemental platinum.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles selected from the group consisting of CeO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and mixtures thereof.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein the platinum-containing surface comprises a platinum alloy.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly is a silicon wafer.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, and combinations thereof.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the oxidizing gas is oxygen.
20. A planarization method for use in forming a capacitor or barrier layer: providing a wafer having a patterned dielectric layer formed thereon and a Group VIII metal-containing layer formed over the patterned dielectric layer, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the wafer comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; positioning a first portion of a polishing surface for contact with the Group VIII metal-containing layer to selectively remove the Group VIII metal-containing layer relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; providing an acidic planarization composition in proximity to the contact between the polishing surface and the Group VIII metal-containing layer; feeding an oxidizing gas into the planarization composition; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing layer; wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, sulfur trioxide, and combinations thereof; wherein the polishing surface comprises a fixed abrasive article or a polishing pad; and wherein when the polishing surface comprises the polishing pad the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than 9 Mohs.
21. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the substrate surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying a planarization composition in proximity to the interface; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface to selectively remove the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the planarization composition comprises an oxidizing gas having a standard reduction potential of at least about 1.4 versus a standard hydrogen electrode at 25° C.; and wherein the method is carried out in one step.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface comprises a platinum alloy.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the polishing surface comprises a polishing pad and the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than about 9 Mohs.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the plurality of abrasive particles comprise CeO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and mixtures thereof.
25. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the substrate surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying a planarization composition in proximity to the interface; and planarizing the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface using a fixed abrasive article to selectively remove the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the planarization composition comprises an oxidizing gas having a standard reduction potential of at least about 1.4 versus a standard hydrogen electrode at 25° C.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface comprises a platinum alloy.
27. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the substrate surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying a planarization composition in proximity to the interface; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface to selectively remove the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of about 20:1 to about 100:1; wherein the planarization composition comprises an oxidizing gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, sulfur trioxide, and combinations thereof.
28. The method of a claim 27 wherein the Group VIII metal alloy-containing surface comprises a platinum alloy.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting on oxygen, air, and combinations thereof.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein the oxidizing gas is oxygen.
31. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and further wherein the substrate surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying a planarization composition in proximity to the interface; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface to selectively remove the Group VIII metal-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the planarization composition comprises an oxidizing gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, sulfur trioxide, and combinations thereof; and wherein the planarization composition comprises a plurality of abrasive particles having a hardness of no greater than 9 Mohs.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, and combinations thereof.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein the oxidizing gas is oxygen.
34. A planarization method comprising: positioning a Group VIII metal-containing surface of a substrate to interface with a polishing surface, wherein the Group VIII metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium, platinum, and combinations thereof, and farther wherein the surface comprises one or more materials containing one or more other metals; supplying a planarization composition in proximity to the interface; and planarizing the Group VIII metal-containing surface using a fixed abrasive article to selectively remove the Group VIII metal-containing surface relative to materials containing other metals at a selectivity ratio of at least 10:1; wherein the planarization composition comprises an oxidizing gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, sulfur trioxide, and combinations thereof.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the grou pconsisitng of oxygen, air, and combinations thereof.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein the oxidizing gas is oxygen.
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December 21, 2001
May 23, 2006
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